The use of portable devices with touch-sensitive surfaces as input devices has increased significantly in recent years. Such portable devices have greatly increased the number of applications, or “apps,” for various situations. For example, image and video camera applications open up content generation opportunities for users, such as taking pictures or recording videos. A notes application allows a user to read or write notes on the fly. Time may be critical in such content generation opportunities. For example, a user may have only a brief moment to capture an image or a video of an event as it is happening.
But existing methods for accessing applications are slow and a hindrance to quick usage, particularly when the device is in a locked, passcode-protected state. Accessing an application on a device, including accessing different modes of the application, while the device is locked requires multiple steps, which prevent immediate or quick access to the application in situations when immediate or quick access is beneficial or desired.